Pioneer Theater

155 East Third Street,

New York,
NY10009

I used to see a handful of films here a year and while the site lines were atrocious, it booked films that almost certainly wouldn’t have otherwise received theatrical distribution in New York City. They used to change the films each week and the films that played here didn’t play in any other theatre. They also occasionally showed revivals. Because the films came and went on a weekly basis, I often missed films, thinking that I’d catch with them on DVD. However, several films that played here that I missed & wanted to see were so independent that they never made it to DVD.

I too was a frequent patron of the Two Boots Pioneer theatre since 2004 and I will certainly miss it when it finally closes after tomorrow’s farewell party at 6PM, which I will be there. In my opinion it was the best independent little single movie theatre in NYC and it was a miracle that it lasted almost 9 years since it’s opening in 2000, when it was not economically feaseable to open a new single movie house in this era of multiplexes. It will certainly leva a void in this area and that leaves only the Ziegfeld and Paris theatres as the only single movie theatres in Manhattan.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Pioneer as a movie theatre (I generally hate anything small boxy theatres with no ambiance) but they had some of the best alternate programming I’ve ever seen. I’d love to run a theatre like it in Los Angeles, if I had deeper pockets and a better space to do it in.

It pains me to write this, as I am the Gena H. who contributed the original description, but Pioneer Theater is closing following Halloween. There will be a party to remember this great theater in November. Check their web site for more details. Another Lower East Side casualty. New York is losing every last bit of fun it had.

Anyone notice a few blocks north of Two Boots Pioneer, on Avenue A, on the East Side of a Street a building that looks like it was a theatre. It has been closed for years. There are retail stores on the ground floor. Anyone know the name of that theatre, if it was a theatre?